State workers’ pay hike up to Congress

MANILA, Philippines – Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno urged Congress yesterday to pass a resolution empowering President Duterte to order the release of the second tranche of pay increases of government employees.

In a briefing at Malacañang yesterday, Diokno said he had notified the President of the need for a joint resolution from the Senate and the House of Representatives allowing Duterte to tap the funds incorporated in the P3.3-trillion national budget for 2017. 

The budget department is seeking a legal cover for an executive order former president Benigno Aquino III signed last February. Some P57.9 billion was already incorporated in the budget last year. 

“But there’s already an allocation in the 2017 budget for a salary increase, second tranche,” Diokno said. “But we will go to Congress and ask for authority.”  

Congress has not enacted Aquino’s EO.

But Diokno said a joint resolution of the House and Senate is enough to put the EO into effect.  

Pending measures at the Senate are pushing for a three-year pay increase for 1.53 million government employees, including military and uniformed personnel. 

20% pay hike for police, military

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is pushing for a 20-percent rise in annual pay of the country’s police and soldiers.

In a statement yesterday, the DBM said it had submitted the proposal to Malacañang, to be approved by Congress later.

Once approved, a private soldier or police officer’s annual regular pay would rise 20.04 percent to P327,834, including allowances, in line with the Duterte administration’s pledge of better pay for the country’s uniformed personnel.

For the increase, P27.5 billion will come from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Funds.